Zelensky warns wartime elections would 'destroy' Ukraine

In late August 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that holding presidential elections during the ongoing war with Russia would 'destroy' the country. He argued that such a vote would split Ukraine internally and undermine its ability to resist the Russian invasion. Zelensky also stated that a realistic window for a peace deal with Russia would be late 2026 to summer 2027, and he accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of rejecting a proposed truce on Black Sea shipping. Additionally, he warned that Russia is likely to mobilize at least 300,000 more troops for the war.